Airguns in the UK are subject to the firearms acts, under the Firearms (Dangerous air weapons) rules 1969 they are classified as low powered Air Weapons and as such they are restricted to a maximum power of 12 foot pounds force for a rifle and 6 foot pounds force for a pistol. Above 12ftlb a rifle is classified as a Section 1 Firearm and requires a licence called a firearms certificate, and a pistol above 6ftlb is again a Section 1 Firearm requiring a firearms certificate in the UK.

The definition of a firearm under the act is "a lethal barrelled weapon of any description from which any shot, bullet or other missile can be discharged" it further defines "lethal weapon" as "a weapon capable of firing a projectile with sufficient force to inflict more than a trivial injury ie. with sufficient force to puncture skin"

The Home Office consider the lowest level of muzzle energy capable of inflicting a penetrating wound is one foot pound (1.35 joules) hence guns producing less than 1ft/lb are not covered by the act and therefore not classified as air weapons or subject to any restrictions.

The 1997 Firearms Amendment Act made handguns illegal in the UK but Air Weapons were excluded under Section 5 (1) subsection (aba) "a prohibited weapon includes a firearm with a barrel length less than 30cms and an overall length less than 60cms, other than an AIR WEAPON, a muzzle loading gun, or a firearm designed as signalling apparatus".

PART 6: FIREARMS

This part of the Bill introduces a number of changes to the Firearms Act 1968 with a view to tackling the misuse of air weapons and imitation firearms, and introducing stricter controls over especially dangerous air weapons.

Clause 42: Possession of air weapon or imitation firearm in public place

This clause amends section 19 of the 1968 Act, which deals with the carrying of firearms in a public place, so as to include air weapons and imitation firearms. These amendments mean it will be an offence to carry an air weapon (whether loaded or not) or an imitation firearm in a public place without lawful authority or reasonable excuse. An "imitation firearm" is defined in section 57(4) of the 1968 Act. It covers anything which has the appearance of being a firearm whether or not it is capable of discharging a shot or bullet. Subsection (3) makes this an arrestable offence by adding the new offence to the list of arrestable offences set out in Schedule 1A to the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. This will be subject to a maximum penalty of 6 months imprisonment.

Clause 43: Air weapons: age limits

This clause makes a number of amendments to section 22, 23 and 24 of the Firearms Act 1968 with a view to changing the age at which a young person may own an air weapon and to tightening up on when it may be used unsupervised. The present limit is raised from fourteen to seventeen and it will also be an offence for anybody to give an air weapon to a person under seventeen.

Clause 44: Prohibition of certain types of weapon

This clause creates an order making power that will enable the Secretary of State to prohibit or introduce other controls in respect of any air weapon which appears to him to be especially dangerous. Particular types of air weapons are vulnerable to conversion in a number of ways so as to fire conventional ammunition and have been increasingly used in gun crime.

This principally applies to guns designed to fire the Brocock TAC system which through no fault of the legitimate users, proved possible to illegally convert to fire live ammunition - though the risk to the criminals firing live ammunition through a gun only designed to fire at airgun velocities can only be imagined.

To calculate the power of an airgun you need to use a chronograph to measure the speed of the pellet (in feet per second) when fired, and you need to know the weight of the pellet in grains. Once you have that information you perform the following calculation:-

As I have mentioned the legal maximum for an unlicenced air rifle is 12 ftlb which from changing round the above formula, gives the approximate values as follows:-

A .22 pellet weighing 14.4 grains, maximum permissible speed is 612 ft/sec.

A .177 pellet weighing 7.9 grains, maximum permissible speed is 826 ft/sec

The corresponding figures for a pistol are 433 ft/sec for a .22 and 584 ft/sec for a .177

The pellet weights used in the above calculation are typical weights for the sizes of pellet but you must always check the actual weight of your pellet before performing your own calculation.

The laws concerning the purchase of guns and ammunition revised by the ANTISOCIAL BEHAVIOUR BILL are as follows:-

Any person under the age of 17 years of age may not purchase or own guns or ammunition.

Persons aged between 14 and 17 years may not purchase guns or ammunition but may borrow them from some one over 17 years of age.

Persons over the age of 17 years may purchase guns and ammunition, the guns having a power less than the UK legal limit. Guns over that limit require a fire arms certificate to be granted before they can be owned.

The laws concerning the use of airguns by young persons have been amended as follows:-

Any one under the age of 14 can only use an airgun whilst under the direct supervision and control of someone over 21, whilst on private property with the permission of the owner of the premises.

A person aged between 14 and 17 can use an airgun on private property where they have a right to be, with out supervision.

They may not posess a rifle or a pistol in a public place even if it is in a securely fastened gun cover so that it cannot be fired.

A rifle or pistol can only be carried in a Public Place by someone over 17, it must be unloaded and in a securely fastened case.

You may never have an airgun in a public place without proper reason for doing so. If you are travelling to and from a place where you have the right to shoot, the gun must be in a case as above. A gun is loaded if there is a pellet or any form of projectile in it, including an "air weapon which has a loaded magazine, is loaded even though there is no round in the breach"

It is an offence to fire an airgun within 50 feet of the centre of a public highway, IF BY DOING SO you cause any member of the public using that highway to be injured, interupted or endangered. This applies even if you are on private property adjacent the highway. Public highways include roads, bridleways and public footpaths.

If you go on to any land, including over water and in buildings, without permission you are Trespassing. If you have an Airgun with you it is classed as Armed Trespass which is a serious Criminal offence even if the gun is not loaded

ALL BIRDS and ANIMALS are PROTECTED by LAW

Certain species are classified as pests or vermin and only these species can be legitimately shot and then only by authorised persons. An Authorised Person is someone who has the proper permission from the land owner to control pests on that land.

Within that list of designated pests some are not suitable prey for an airgun producing less than 12 ftlbs.

The following pests are concidered suitable for controlling using a sub-12 ftlb Airgun.

Brown Rat, Grey Squirrel, Rabbit, Crow, Rook, Magpie, Jay, Woodpigeon, Collared Dove, Feral Pigeon, House mouse, Sparrow, Starling, and recently Mink have been added to the list.

Not all the above are concidered pests except in certain circumstances, and ONLY Authorised Persons can shoot them in ALL circumstances.

Whilst the above are all related to statute laws, it should be bourne in mind by every airgun shooter that the unexpected could happen and they could find themself facing a civil action for damage to property or even injury to persons or livestock. Every airgun shooter should have Third Party Public Liability Insurance before venturing out of doors, and joining one of the bodies representing shooters interests is the best way to achieve this.

The BRITISH AIRGUN SHOOTERS ASSOCIATION or The BRITISH ASSOCIATION for SHOOTING & CONSERVATION are two of the main ones, representing Airgun shooters, and all sports shooters respectively.